With the Kangaroos overwhelmed by the 'orange tsunami', Josh Goater went down with a suspected Achilles tendon rupture late in the final term of their 17.19 (121) to 13.4 (82) loss to the Giants at Engie Stadium on Saturday.
Unmarked in North's defensive 50, the 20-year-old innocuously fell to ground when he pushed off his right foot.
Scans will determine the extent of Goater's injury next week with Clarkson expecting the worse.
"If that's a ruptured Achilles, I daresay that's his season done," Clarkson said.
"But that's the game that we're in. It's a really, really demanding game, and unfortunately, he's just going to have to rehab it well and get himself ready for next year."
Kangaroos defender Josh Goater is attended to after suffering an injury against GWS. (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)
The 'Roos defence was already undermanned before Goater went down.
Griffin Logue tore his anterior cruciate ligament in round 17 last season and is estimated to be three months away from returning, while co-captain Luke McDonald is still working his way back from a hamstring injury.
The Giants' attack, led by powerhouse forward Jesse Hogan (six goals) and Jake Riccardi (three), put on a devastating display to ravage the inexperienced Kangaroos backline.
Still, Clarkson is backing the talent in his list to regroup ahead of their home game against Fremantle.
"We've got plenty of players so we'll be able to cover that," he said.
"It's just disappointing for (Goater). He's a third year in his career, he had a great summer and is really emerging for us as a player that was going to play a lot of senior footy this year, so it just sets him back.
"But you always want a different bloke to come in and get an opportunity and see where we go from there.
"We were shattered for him but we've just got to get on with it."
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